Companies are latching on to the idea of ‘big data’ and are holding on for dear life. However, an increased reliance on the need for data science and analytics experts has created a noticeable skills gap, which is hurting companies and potential employees alike. In fact, the national gap in data scientists and others with deep analytical expertise could be at 140,000 to 190,000 people by 2017, resulting in demand that’s 60 percent greater than supply.
This low supply of data scientists has many employers leaning on existing employees to fill new roles and take on new responsibilities; in search for their jack-of-all-trades who can not only understand big data, but can also apply it to their company’s business objectives. This expectation is leading many employers and their employees to come up short and feel ill prepared.
So what can eager data science and analytics mavens do to help close this skill gap and secure an exciting, high-paying position?
Avention OneSource Solutions looked at a wide array of data science and analytics masters programs, honed in on what skills employers were looking for, and what programs were well regarded in the community. This list of top data science and analytics masters programs represents a sampling of some of the best the world has to offer.
Thanks to these world class educational institutions, the future of data science and analytics is going to be something to behold.
The following list is in no particular order:
Duke University (The Fuqua School of Business) – Durham, North Carolina
Degree: Master of Quantitative Management
Ranking: 8th overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 15,856
About: The Master of Quantitative Management at Duke University helps students with more than technical expertise. The robust curriculum is broken down into three areas: Technical, Functional, and Critical Thinking and Communication. This unique curriculum allows graduates to holistically develop with analytical skills, communication skills, and the ability to make impactful decisions for their companies. While the foundation of the program lies in data analysis, students are able to focus on specific industry issues when selecting from their curriculum track of Finance, Forensics, Marketing, and Strategy.
Sample Courses:
DATA SCIENCE FOR BUSINESS
ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES OF DATA ANALYTICS
CRITICAL THINKING, COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION
DIGITAL MARKETING
EMPIRICAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Additional Highlights:
Students have the option to pursue a Certificate of Research should they be considering a PhD in Business. The University will match students with faculty to work on research projects over the summer while also enrolling in PhD seminars and Advanced MBA classes.
The Fuqua School of Business hosts the Distinguished Speaker Series for faculty and students which has recently included Tim Cook – CEO, Apple, Jamie Dimon – CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Shelly Lazarus – Chairman Emeritus, Ogilvy & Mather.
In the last term, students engage in a team based project putting them in a simulated business environment. This provides them not only the ability to showcase their analytical strengths, but to strategize with their team and communicate their results to a bigger audience.
The University of Chicago (Graham School) – Chicago, Illinois
Degree: Master of Science in Analytics
Ranking: 4th overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 14,467
About: The University of Chicago’s Graham School Master of Science in Analytics provides students with the advanced training necessary to draw insights from real data and to apply analytical skills to solve real problems. The technical know-how, real-world insights and leadership edge gained in this program give students the capability to utilize data analytics to develop real solutions.
Sample Courses:
RESEARCH DESIGN FOR BUSINESS APPLICATIONS
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
DATA MINING PRINCIPLES
MARKETING ANALYTICS
DATA VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES
Additional Highlights:
The Master of Science in Analytics program has cultivated ongoing partnerships with top employers for capstone research partnerships and employment pathways for graduates.
Programming workshops on R, SAS, Python, Linux, and Hadoop are offered periodically at no additional charge to Master of Science in Analytics students.
The Master or Science in Analytics program offers students access to a 12th course at no cost and a 50% tuition discount in tuition for future courses.
Columbia University – New York, New York
Degree: Master of Science in Data Science
Ranking: 4th overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 30,304
About: The Master of Science in Data Science allows students to apply data science techniques to their field of interest. Students have the opportunity to work closely with industry partners and faculty in a capstone project that applies skills they have acquired in the program to real-world problems. They also have the chance to do independent research with faculty as an elective course.
Sample Courses:
PROBABILITY THEORY
ALGORITHMS FOR DATA SCIENCE
STATISTICAL INFERENCE AND MODELING
COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR DATA SCIENCE
MACHINE LEARNING FOR DATA SCIENCE
Additional Highlights:
Innovative entrepreneurship program that supports Columbia students with new business ideas.
Robust career page that gives potential employees and employers a detailed look at what opportunities are out there.
Columbia hosts a number of fascinating data science and analytics events for students and faculty alike.
Carnegie Mellon University (Heinz College) – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Degree: Master of Information Systems Management (with a Business Intelligence and Data Analytics [BIDA] concentration)
Ranking: 23rd overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 13,285
About: Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College Master of Information Systems Management (MISM) program was developed from the ground up as a blended business-technology program. Through this program, students will develop better planning, management and technical abilities that focus on the application of technology to create business value. The Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (BIDA) concentration provides additional development for students, by enabling graduates to be fluent and cross-trained in business process analysis and skilled in predictive modeling, GIS mapping, analytical reporting, segmentation analysis, and data visualization.
Sample Courses:
DATABASE MANAGEMENT
DATA MINING
APPLIED DATA SCIENCE
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
DECISION MAKING UNDER UNCERTAINTY
Additional Highlights:
The Master of Information Systems Management program offers exchange programs for eligible students. Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College has current relationships with: University of Mannheim, Technical University of Munich, and Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien.
Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College is home to the Keith Block Entrepreneurship Competition, a contest to foster new business ideas in the IT space.
Experiential opportunities for students to complete a comprehensive team-based project for an actual client.
University of San Francisco – San Francisco, California
Degree: Master of Science in Analytics
Ranking: 104th overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 10,172
About: University of San Francisco knows that big data requires big skills, which is why their one-year Master of Science in Analytics (MSAN) program trains students to scrape, process, organize, and analyze large data sets to identify patterns and trends. The MSAN program delivers rigorous training in the mathematical and computational techniques of big data.
Sample Courses:
EXPLORATORY DATA ANALYSIS
BUSINESS STRATEGIES FOR BIG DATA
DATA AND INFORMATION VISUALIZATION
ADVANCED MACHINE LEARNING
DATA ACQUISITION
Additional Highlights:
100% of students that graduated with a Master of Science in Analytics are employed within three months of graduation at companies such as Google, Williams-Sonoma, General Electric Software, Capital One Labs, and Uber.
Students work on real projects with real companies for approximately 9 months out of their 12-month experience.
University of San Francisco’s Master of Science in Analytics program hosts exciting and informative speakers at their weekly Seminar Series, which is open to the public.
Harvard University (Harvard Extension School) – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Degree: Data Science Certificate
Ranking: 2nd overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 21,000
About: By participating in the Data Science Certificate program at the Harvard Extension School, students will master key facets of data investigation, including data wrangling, cleaning, sampling, management, exploratory analysis, regression and classification, prediction, and data communication.
Sample Courses:
INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
BIG DATA IN HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS
INTERMEDIATE STATISTICS: METHODS AND MODELING
BIG DATA SYSTEMS
MATHEMATICAL FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL SOFTWARE
Additional Highlights:
No application is required. Students simply register for graduate courses during the fall, spring, or summer registration periods.
An abundance of post-degree career resources, including a campus interview program and an alumni job fair.
This certificate can be completed in as quickly as 1.5 years to enable students more time to begin their career path.
University of Maryland (Robert H Smith School of Business) – College Park, Maryland
Degree: Master of Science in Business for Marketing Analytics
Ranking: 57th overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 37,610
About: The Master of Science in Marketing Analytics is one of eight specialty masters programs offered at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The degree offers solid training in the necessary technical, quantitative and conceptual skills to meet today’s marketing challenges. The program’s unique curriculum teaches students how to harness, process and analyze massive amounts of data to gain insights about customers and address important marketing problems.
Sample Courses:
STATISTICAL PROGRAMMING
MARKETING RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
MARKET FORECASTING
DATA SCIENCE
WEB ANALYTICS
Additional Highlights:
University of Maryland’s Robert H Smith School of Business boasts an impressive network of 60,000 worldwide alumni.
The nine-month curriculum allows students to earn their degree in less than a year.
Experiential learning opportunities are available through application courses and Action Learning Projects.
New York University – New York, New York
Degree: Master of Science in Data Science
Ranking: 32nd overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 57,245
About: New York University’s Master of Science in Data Science degree program is all about educating the next generation of data scientists. This highly selective program is for students with a strong background in mathematics, computer science, and applied statistics. The degree focuses on the development of new methods for data science.
Sample Courses:
INTRO TO DATA SCIENCE
STATISTICAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS FOR DATA SCIENCE
MACHINE LEARNING AND COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS
BIG DATA
INFERENCE AND REPRESENTATION
Additional Highlights:
New York University’s program was the first in the United States to offer a Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS).
Every single student that graduated in 2015 were employed in their chosen fields.
New York University hosts weekly Career Information Sessions with data science employers from all corners of the market, such as CIA, Spotify, Facebook, as well as smaller, more focused companies.
Stanford University – Stanford, California
Degree: Master of Science in Statistics: Data Science
Ranking: 4th overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 16,122
About: The Data Science track develops strong mathematical, statistical, and computational and programming skills through the general master’s core and programming requirements, in addition to providing fundamental data science education through general and focused electives requirement from courses in data sciences and related areas.
Sample Courses:
NUMERICAL LINEAR ALGEBRA
INTRODUCTION TO REGRESSION MODELS AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL MODELING
DATA DRIVEN MEDICINE
MINING MASSIVE DATA SETS
Additional Highlights:
Stanford offers a comprehensive Teaching Assistant program that helps to train and prepare interested students.
Weekly seminars and workshops are held for current students and faculty and provide an opportunity to present their current research work to an appreciative and skeptical audience.
Stanford is home to the Industrial Affiliates Annual Conference, which enables students to meet affiliates from global corporations.
North Carolina State University – Raleigh, North Carolina
Degree: Master of Science in Analytics
Ranking: 89th overall among U.S. national universities for 2016 by U.S. News & World Report
Number of Students: 33,989
About: The Master of Science in Analytics at North Carolina State University is targeted to students that have a mind for mathematics and statistical programming, and a passion for working with data to solve challenging problems. The MSA is uniquely designed to equip individuals for the task of deriving and effectively communicating actionable insights from a vast quantity and wide variety of data—in 10 months.
Sample Courses:
DATA ACCESS AND MANAGEMENT
DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY
BIG DATA
ADVANCED EXPLORATORY AND OUTLIER ANALYSIS
DATA SECURITY
Additional Highlights:
The Data Science Lab provides fully dedicated high-speed computational resources in support of the Institute’s analytics educational programs and for doctoral research in selected areas of computer science focused on big data.
99% of students that graduated with their Master of Science in Analytics in 2016 had one or more job offers by graduation.
North Carolina State University’s Master of Science in Analytics, founded in 2007, was the nation’s first Master of Science in Analytics program.
The post Closing the Skills Gap; Top Data Science/Analytics Master’s Degree Programs appeared first on Avention.